Work Text:
Midorya Inko was inconsolable for a few days. Actually, she still is but she’s managed to get a hold of herself for most of the time.
The moment Venti showed Inko her bleeding son a week ago, Inko cried non-stop. Venti’s plan to explain everything to her halted. He decided to wait for her to be calmer before explaining. He respectfully made his way inside the house and brought the body to the bathroom where he cleaned him. With shaking hands, he scrubbed every blood on the boy’s body.
He could bring him back to life. He probably can. But would the boy even want that? Especially considering how he looked resigned and accepted his death. Going against his last wishes would be going against freedom in some way.
When he heard a thud from the living room, he paused his act and rushed over to the sound. There he found Inko sitting on the ground, still at the door. Venti bit back a sob before making his way over to the woman.
Venti’s not a cry baby, despite what a lot of people might think back then. It was a quick assumption, especially due to his attitude and previous looks. But he only ever cried a few times. The first being when he lost his first friend, the others whenever his people were suffering too much, and earlier when Izuku whispered his last wish.
So he managed himself and guided the woman to the couch. He did what he knows human do when comforting others, an embrace.
The woman melted to his touch instantly, sobbing even more. Venti rubbed his hands against her back and whispered. “ I’ll explain everything once you’ve calmed down, Miss Inko. But right now, I really need your help to take care of Izuku. We can’t bring him to the hospital nor a morgue. Not when I’m here looking like this. “
Inko nodded, but still took a while to console herself.
“ Izuku f-first. The explanation can— can come later. “, Inko managed to speak out.
Venti nodded. “ I’ve almost finished cleaning him. What should we do afterwards? “
Venti left the woman to call someone while he finished to clean the boy’s body. He did his best to avoid looking at the boy’s face while doing so.
When he came back to the living room, it was just in time that Inko ended the call. She wiped her eyes once more before turning to face him. “ I’ve called someone. Someone trusted. Normally, our relatives would be buried. But we were also given a choice to give our deceased relatives a cremation. “
Then she stayed quiet, eyeing him.
“ What did you choose, Miss Inko? “, Venti asked, now feeling nervous.
“ I need your answers first. Not about this situation. “
Venti stared at her in confusion. “ Then? “
“ I want to know what you plan on doing afterwards. “, she paused, looking down. “ With that body. “
Oh.
Venti let out a shaky breath, thankful for her consideration. If they announced Izuku as dead, his plans would be hard to comply. “ Izuku told me his final wish. “
Inko looked up. “ W-what is it? “
“ He told me to take his form and live freely. “
She signed in acceptance. “ I see. So then it would be hard to process his death with you wearing his form. Should we make up a story? Maybe I’ll say you’re a long lost rel— “
Venti cut her off. “ And another thing, Miss Inko. There’s another wish I have now that Izuku’s gone. “
Inko stopped her muttering and looked at him once more, waiting for him to continue.
“ I’d like to achieve Izuku’s dream. As him. “
There was a long silence that followed after that. Inko excused herself, telling him he needed alment to think about his implication. Venti stayed at the living room, still shaken up to check on Izuku’s body in the tub.
Surprisingly, it didn’t take long before Inko came out of her bedroom. She steadily walked towards him and sat beside him. “ I agree with your plans. Let’s choose cremation for my son using underground connections. And you’ll live using his dentity, not as him. Continue his dreams, and no one will know he’s even gone except for us. “
For a moment, Venti was stunned with how fast Inko agreed. The fact that she had underground connections went past him. He expected her to refuse, not accepting someone to replace her son.
“ But in return, I want you to avenge him. I want him to look strong in front of others through you. I know we’ll talk about the reason of his death later on, bit even now I’m telling you, avenge my son. I don’t know what methods you’ll use, but I want those responsible for my son’s bruises, my son’s cries, and my son’s suffering to experience the same. “
It was then that Venti understood why. Though he never expected her to have this kind of side. He always thought of her as someone too soft. But remembering the gaze she held whenever her son came home with bruises…
Izuku reached out to the disinfectant beside him, only for his hand to be gently put away.
“ But mom I can help… “
Inko shook her head. “ I know baby, but take a rest and let me help you heal. “
Izuku sighed in resignation. Instead, he shifted his focus on the show currently airing on the television.
“ Aren’t you gonna tell me who did this to you? “, Inko asked, her eyes focused on the burns on her son’s wrists.
Izuku shifted slightly. “ I told you mom. It’s nothing. I just tripped and fell. “
“ Just like all the wounds and burns you had before? “
Izuku stayed quiet. His eyes never left the screen. Venti on the other hand, stilled his eyes on the woman’s whose eyes are glued to her son’s wrists. Her eyes were dark, blank, and still. Too still. Venti felt uncertain.
He chirped.
Instantly, Inko blinked. Her eyes returned to normal. She looked at him and smiled. “ Are you hungry, baby? “
Venti understood. And he felt helpless.
It’s how it lead to Venti returning back to Aldera as if nothing happened, wearing Izuku’s usual smile. Izuku’s body has been cremated, his ashes laid safely inside a comfortable looking urn. It was only yesterday that he explained everything to Inko.
The woman was understandably shocked at the revelation of their land’s ancestors, his background in Ancient Teyvat, the current Teyvat, and their family ties to the homeland. Shockingly, both Izuku’s mother and father side are related to Teyvat, something rare as it was usually only one side.
And she was also understandably mad at the exchange that happened between Izuku and All Might. Furious. She told him to make his life a living hell in any way he deems acceptable. Venti really isn’t a gruesome person, so he’s currently looking for ways on how to carry out Inko’s request in a nicer way.
When he arrived at his classroom, he received the usual treatment of Izuku’s classmates. Most ignored him, some glared at him. Ignoring them, he sat at Izuku’s chair with his head down and quietly waited for the day to pass.
“ Did he color the tips of his hair? “
“ Probably. “
“ I didn’t notice it first before you pointed it out with how small the highlights are. “
“ Did he even think before dyeing it? It looks weird. Seriously, how did he think blue goes well with black and green? “
“ Oi Deku. "
Venti didn’t look up. He continued to stare at his table.
“ You were absent for a whole week because of a fucking hair dye? You even got Aunt Inko to lie for you and tell the teacher you were sick. “, Bakugo said.
His classmates laughed and added some comments.
Venti felt a hand on his shoulder. “ Look at me when I’m talking you— “
Venti turned his head to look at him. Katsuki’s other hand that was about reach out to him paused.
Venti smiled, glinting his blue eyes. “ Hello, Kacchan. Was I gone for too long? “